14 September, 2009

1 Peter 2:4&9 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Too many believers today live substandardly to their scriptural call.  Here we see that every believer is called to be a priest. We are a royal priesthood, i.e., people called to be both kings and priests.  A priest is one who can approach God bringing sacrifices and gifts.  He also ministers to people serving as a mediator as he is able to place his hands on both God and man.  Of course we have only one mediator between God and man and that is the man Christ Jesus (1Ti 2:5).  Jesus is the High Priest but as we are ‘in him’ we are priests too.

In the Old Testament, God really wanted the entire nation of Israel to be priests (Exo 19:6) but as we know the people were afraid and stayed at a distance and thrust Moses forward to approach God at Mt. Sinai.  Instead of a kingdom of priests, God chose the descendants of Aaron to be priests.  So he got priests in a kingdom rather than a kingdom of priests.  Is it any wonder that the same goes today?  Many of God’s people would rather have a special class of people to be the priests (Clergy) while they stay back content to be Laity.

The early church knew no such separation.  The apostles and prophets equipped the saints to do the work of the ministry.  Each one was a minister, a priest serving God.  Even the first deacons who were supposed to wait on tables were preaching powerfully.  One of them Stephen became the first martyr (witness) of the church.  The separation of clergy and laity came much later and led to the decline of the church.

Today as the Lord is restoring the Church, it is time for God’s people to rise up as ministers: To see themselves as priests unto God and to function in this holy calling.  Are you willing to rise up into your holy calling?  Pastors and other clergy, are you willing to unleash the laity as priests of God to function in their holy calling?